


Saudade

by TheProtobabe



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alphys is Leader, Comfort, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, Gen, NSFW, Neutral endings, Past Character Death, Sans cares a lot, Toriel needs a hug, Unrequited Love, soul song idea that is super neato and not mine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-05-30 21:58:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6442513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheProtobabe/pseuds/TheProtobabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots and situations that come to mind for the Undertale fandom. Various pairings, neutral endings, headcanons abound.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reciprocate

**Author's Note:**

> Sans and Alphys both work through the grief and hopelessness of a world minus the people they love, together. Sometimes forgetting requires forging new relationships.
> 
> Very NSFW.

“A-ahh, S-Sans…”

The yellow monster was panting, both claws gripping the edges of the desk she was propped backwards on. Her soft thighs cradled each side of the skeleton monster’s skull as he drove her wild with his fingers and tongue, one of his hands tugging her thick tail downwards to allow him better access. A summoned tongue swept across her clit with wide strokes, lapping up the wetness of her arousal. He chuckled, the sounds reverberating through his skull and vibrating against her tender flesh. She panted, letting her head drop back as he found a rhythm with his fingers and mouth.

Alphys had been queen of the Underground for four years now. The souls of the humans had been lost for good, but she and Sans had worked together to make sure nobody gave up hope. At first, her control over the morale of her subjects had been shaky at best, but now… Now, with the help of her friend, things were looking up. Steps were being taken every day to set up plans for their freedom, as well as plans for long-term survival here underground. Many monsters seemed to prefer staying here, anyway, fearful of the humans above.

She couldn’t blame them; even just one human child had killed so many overnight. They had taken away so much hope for them all—they’d taken away Papyrus, and Asgore, and… and…

Sans curved his finger just so and Alphys convulsed, hips tilting. “Gghhh, ha… hahh…” She panted, her breaths becoming shaky and noisy. Even when she was lost to pleasure, Alphys never raised her voice to a yell—instead, she was breathy and soft.

“Mm, c’mon, Alph, let go,” Sans murmured coaxingly, scraping his teeth over the soft flesh of her thigh. He dove back into her, continuing his rhythm but speeding up when Alphys went rigid and silent. She always did this right before—

“Aaahhh… o-ohhhh…”

There it was. Sans continued lapping at her, savoring the flood that hit his tongue when she came. She was sweet, salty, and so, so soft. She shuddered above him before sighing, her whole body relaxing. Sans got up on his feet and scooped her up, chuckling down at her flushed face.

“Better?” he asked, a smug grin stretching across his face. Alphys batted at him and giggled tiredly.

“Oh, stop it,” she admonished, and felt the familiar crackle of his magic as he brought them into her room.

“It’s late, you should get sleep,” he told her.

She opened her mouth to protest but he’d already laid her down and slid in next to her, wrapping an arm around her fleshy middle. His teeth met her rounded snout in a skeleton’s kiss and she sighed.

“All right, I guess I am kind of tired,” she relented, scooting closer to him and draping a claw on his hip. His fingers rubbed at her flesh absently, used to the feel of her scaly but smooth skin.

Their… relationship, if one could call it that, had arisen from need. Sans needed to forget his brother and everything to do with resets. Alphys needed to forget Mettaton, Asgore, and… Undyne. Now that everyone was gone and Undyne had died to the hands of that rabid murderer, Alphys could admit to herself that she’d been in love with the warrior. She’d loved her since the day Undyne had inadvertently saved her from jumping to her own death in a garbage dump. Undyne was powerful, passionate, and, to Alphys, beautiful. And when she had fought her hardest against the human, she had turned into an avenging angel, ready to defend the whole Underground with every ounce of her determination. But, in the end, even Undyne hadn’t been strong enough.

Alphys would never forget watching her melting body as she struggled to stay alive, her name on Undyne’s lips even in her last moments.

  
Sans had been so attentive and kind. He was patient with her, helping as much as he could with ruling the kingdom and keeping up appearances. Alphys had always known that the skeleton hid a lot behind his smile, but she never thought he was so incredibly gentle and hard-working. The laziness everyone had associated with him was a façade—though, to her puzzlement, he preferred that everyone saw him that way. He would always dismiss his own accomplishments and assure everyone he didn’t need praise or appreciation. And yet he would encourage Alphys every step of the way, always supportive and thoughtful.

Still, though, she didn’t love him. Not romantically, at least.

Alphys wasn’t stupid, however; she saw the way he’d look at her sometimes. The way his touches lingered. The way he would speak to her and light up like a Christmas tree when she came into the room. Once upon a time, the old Alphys would dismiss these obvious signs and sputter with embarrassment if anyone implied anything about them. Now, though... his feelings for her were as clear as a glass window.

For now, she just enjoyed his companionship. She looked at his peaceful expression as he slept and brought a claw to his cheekbone, gently stroking his face. Alphys cared about him so much. He was a good man.

It was just a shame that he’d fallen in love with someone who would never feel the same about him.


	2. Missing a Beat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even the best possible Neutral ending isn't a good one for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea was inspired by OnaDacora, who wrote the ["Would That Make You Happy?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5053684) series! She came up with the songs inside each Soul, and the bonding that takes place between two partners.

“It was nice to meet you, human.” Asgore gripped the trident beneath his robes, giving the tiny child a sad smile. “Goodbye.”

Ten minutes later, the woman in the Ruins stumbled when she felt the baritone harmony in her Soul go silent.

* * *

Sans rocked back on his heels, hand hovering over the front door of Asgore’s old house. 

Toriel, the former Queen of All Monsters and the wife of Asgore, had come back to rule over her subjects in the king’s absence. The human child, who had spared every monster--even going out of their way to be kind and befriend most of them--had been forced to make a choice when faced with Asgore. 

The king had only been doing what he thought was best for his people when he attacked the human. They only needed one Soul-- _ just one more _ \--and they would all be freed. The monsters were eager to feel the sun on their backs, most for the first time. The stories of the Surface were beginning to fade into myth and legend as the people who survived for that long turned to dust.

But forcing the little human to fight, the king had become dust himself. And the monsters were left with no human Souls and no hope.

The skeleton finally knocked on the door, the corner of his grin twitching. “Knock knock,” he called out. There was shuffling, the sound of padded feet, and a soft chuckle.

“Who is there?” came the familiar, gentle voice.

“A broken pencil.”

“A broken pencil who?” 

Sans paused, just a moment, to let the anticipation set in. “Nevermind, it’s  _ pointless _ .”

“Ah! P-pointless, oh, ahahahaha!” Her laughter rang through the door, sweet and genuine. It was infectious; Sans couldn’t help but rumble along with her, lines creasing the places just below his eye sockets.

“You gonna let me in, Tori, or  _ lead  _ me stand here forever?” he asked, and she tittered a little more at the teasing.

“Of course, my friend,” she said, and a second later she was looking down at him, a paw covering her mouth as she continued giggling. “It is nice to see you, Sans. Come inside.”

He stepped over the threshhold, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. 

Toriel had taken over her late husband’s home, and already it showed signs of his absence and her presence. The flowers that usually sat in a pot on the windowsill were gone, gardening tools replaced with pokers for the fire. The large chair that seemed to never be used by the fireplace had a book lying upside down on the arm, open to where Toriel had last been reading. The whole house smelled of the queen’s butterscotch cinnamon pie, and the scent of golden flower tea had faded almost entirely.

“What brings you, Sans?” the white monster asked as she headed for the kitchen.

“Nothin’ official. Just visitin’ a friend, thought you might like t’see your favorite skeleton,” he answered, closing one eye in a wink. He leaned against the doorframe.

Toriel turned her head to eye him sideways as she put a kettle on. “Oh? And how are you so certain that Papyrus has not become my favorite, hmm?”

Sans shrugged. “Wouldn’t blame ya, he’s super cool. Might have a problem if ya start tellin’ him too many jokes, though.”

“Oh, he loves them. I can tell.” Toriel leaned against the counter to face Sans as she waited for the water to boil. “Is Papyrus busy today?”

Sans nodded. “Yeah. Hangin’ out with Undyne. Two of ‘em are like this,” he said, taking a hand out of his pocket and twisting two fingers together. His smile fell slightly at the thought of the fish monster; his dreams the night before had been disjointed, but he distinctly remembered watching Undyne fight the human with all her might in the last timeline, only to fail a tragic hero… At least _this_ Reset was a mostly peaceful one. Sans was certain the little human would go back, before they’d fought Asgore, and fix things. 

They’d done it before, though Sans was a little fuzzy on the details.

Toriel picked up on the quiet. She tilted her head, frowning in concern. “Do you not care for Undyne?” she asked, shaking him out of his reverie.

“Oh, nah, s’not that. ...Well. Maybe a little,” he admitted, shrugging. “I never got along too well with ‘er. She likes doin’ everything, I like doin’ absolutely nothing.” He traced the door’s edge with one skeletal finger. “Still, though. She treats my bro well. Protects and loves ‘im, y’know? So, uh, I guess I don’t have any real problem with her.” His smile softened at the edges and Toriel chuckled, her eyes twinkling.

“It is so sweet to see how much you love your brother,” she commented. Light spots of blue blossomed on the skeleton’s cheekbones, his pupils darting to the side.

“Yeah, well, y’know.” He fidgeted, glancing up.

He only saw it for a brief second before the kettle began whistling, but there was something nostalgic and very, very sad in her face as she watched him. The moment was over as quick as it had been there, however, and she turned to tend to their tea.

The conversation stalled for a few moments as she poured them both steaming cups, bringing them back to the kitchen table with the sugar and cream having already been added. Sans took a sip; it was exactly how he liked it. He kicked the leg of the chair out and settled in.

The look from before was lessened, but not completely gone from Toriel’s face as she wrapped her large hands around her cup. She contemplated it for a long while before breaking the easy silence between them.

“Sans… do you… know about Soul harmonies? The ones between bonded couples?” she eventually asked.

The skeleton’s brows raised high enough to hide under a hairline, if he'd had one. “Uh. Y-yeah, I heard about ‘em,” he said slowly, thumbing the edge of his cup. He regarded her cautiously, sensing where this was going when her hand went unconsciously to clutch the fabric at her chest. She crossed the room, holding her teacup with practiced propriety. She looked out of the window and into the flower garden.

There was a long pause. Sans waited patiently for her to speak.

“When two Souls bond, the songs that form the individual monsters become intertwined,” she began, her voice distant. “They harmonize, becoming one perfect song. When you bond, it is as if… you didn’t realize that your song was so incomplete, until the person you love added their part.” She sipped her tea, her face still turned away. “And the song becomes infinitely beautiful, unique because it is both of yours, and yet also your own.”

“And now?” he asked quietly.

She seemed startled by the question, glancing over at him. Her eyes were shining. “Now, I… I have my own song again, but… it is  _ changed _ . It is not the same as it was before he and I bonded. It is missing the piece it lost.” Her head tilted down enough that her long ear hid her face. “I… felt his song go quiet. When he…” She stopped, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. 

“Tori…” Sans tried softly, but the kindness in his voice seemed to break the fragile thread that held her together. Toriel’s jaw trembled before two large tears squeezed from beneath her lids, trailing over pristine fur.

“I am… sorry, I-I…” She sniffed and hurriedly wiped her face with the heel of one hand, though it did not stem the flow of her tears. “I apologize, you did not come here for…” She gestured vaguely, giving him a watery smile. “...This.”

“Hey. No, it’s what friends are for, right?” Sans said, the corners of his mouth pulling down. “Tori, you don’t have to pretend around me. I don’t…” His eyes darted to the side. “I don’t really know the whole story between you an’... and him. What I  _ do  _ know ‘s that, uh. I’m here for ya. So don’t worry about tryin’ to keep a face on just for me.” He finished speaking, rubbing the spot between the base of his skull and his vertebrae and avoiding Toriel’s gaze.

“You are very kind, my friend, but you do not need to carry my burdens,” she said, melancholy touching her tone. Sans looked at her--really  _ looked  _ at her, and saw the downward tug of the corner of her mouth, the sag of her regal posture, the endless pain in her eyes. Toriel looked  _ exhausted _ . His expression darkened.

“Nope.” 

He got to his feet and crossed the room to stand next to the much taller monster, leaving his empty teacup behind. Toriel blinked down at him as he took a spot right next to her, lazily flicking his left hand. Her cup was enveloped in a blue light and snatched from her hands, then carefully set down on the table. 

“All right, let me get somethin’ straight,” he started, voice flat. “Friends don’t let each other deal with this shit alone, Tori. I don’t know if maybe livin’ in the Ruins for so long made you forget, but this kinda thing?” He reached for one of her hands and pulled it away from her chest, grasping it between his smaller ones. He felt her trembling violently. “This ain’t somethin’ you can hide away from everyone forever. Well, okay, maybe ya can, but not from  _ all  _ of us,” he corrected, one side of his grin lifting.

“Sans, I…” Her voice was small and uncertain. “I do not wish to… I cannot ask…” Her breathing was erratic; tears were spilling down her face unchecked.

“Talk to me. I’m not gonna blab your secrets, or judge ya, or… or whatever else you’re thinkin’. Okay?” He held both of her hands now, wrapping his slender fingers around her comparatively enormous ones. She stared down at him, mouth parted slightly. “Plus, I’d feel like a pretty shitty friend if I just let you be miserable. Please, Tori.”

Her jaw worked as if she wanted to speak, but nothing came out but a little squeak. And then she inhaled sharply, face crumpling. “Oh, Sans, I… I miss him  _ so much! _ ” she cried, snatching her hands back and pressing them to her face. “I was s-so hateful towards him, the last we spoke. I hid away, blaming him for everything, cursing his name.” She snarled, her lips curling to reveal the long fangs. “H-he killed all those innocent children! He  _ took  _ them from m-me!” Her right hand curled into a fist and she slammed it on the windowsill. Sans saw cracks form in the wall beneath it. 

Sans touched her opposite arm, reassuring her of his presence and urging her to continue.

“He started a  _ war _ .” She looked at Sans desperately. “And yet I… I still held love for him. I tried to force it down, I pretended it didn’t exist, but it was  _ there _ ,” she admitted miserably. Her hand clutched her chest again. “H-how could I… how  _ dare  _ I hold any love for someone like that…?” Her shoulders sagged and she sniffed. “I sensed the moment his song was gone, and a part of me died along with it.” 

Sans thought about what to say next, his words coming slowly as he rubbed absent circles on her arm. “You’re a good person, Tori. You wouldn’ta fallen for someone who was bad down to their core.” He shifted in place. “People change. Asgore… he made a lotta  _ bad  _ choices. Things that might’ve been too heavy-handed for someone in his position. And when he did… he couldn’t really go back on that, y’know?” He looked up at Toriel, whose gaze was back on the garden.

“I do. I hated it, but I do.” She took a shuddering breath, closing her eyes. “I miss him, Sans. He did…  _ unspeakable  _ things, but I miss him so badly…” Her shoulders shook. “I miss Asgore. I miss Asriel and Chara. I miss every child who fell to my husband’s hands. And I miss the child who was forced to fight, who won, against all odds.” 

She turned to Sans with a sad smile. “I suppose that is the only small bit of good from this, isn’t it? The last child to fall escaped this place, and now no more will have to fear the Underground.”

Sans grabbed her hand again. It had stopped shaking. “Yup. And uh, the Underground got their queen back,” he added, giving her another wink before his face fell into a more serious expression. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “It’s okay to love people who aren’t all good, Tori. It’s not a weakness--if anything, it takes a lotta guts. Not that I’d know.” Toriel choked on a laugh that sounded halfway like a sob. Sans glanced away again. “Y’know, I think you could use a hug, am I right?”

She giggled tremulously. “I think you are right, my friend.” The queen stooped down and encircled two very warm, soft arms around the skeleton, who did his best to reciprocate given his small stature.

“It’s not gonna be easy, gettin’ through all this stuff,” he said, his voice muffled somewhat by the embrace. “An’ you gotta be the queen, and keep up appearances and everything, I know. But…if ya ever wanna talk, I’m your skeleton.” They broke away, and Sans’s pupils were bright. “An’ if ya ever just want a pick-me-up, Papyrus is great for that. You can borrow ‘im anytime,” he promised, grin spreading wide. Toriel laughed softly.

“I appreciate it, Sans. More than you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have this idea that Sans makes a great listener. He cares much more than he pretends to, and he has a giant soft spot for Toriel. Not necessarily because he likes her in a romantic sense, but because she is caring and holds a lot of pain, which Sans can identify with. Thank you, Ona, for this wonderful idea and allowing me to write it!


End file.
